Chap. II. COMMANDER JOHN ROSS. 37 



be traced by me, might be that which Baffin calls 

 Sir Thomas Smith's Sound, and which he de- 

 scribes as the deepest and largest sound in all this 

 bay ; and it is not likely," says Fisher, " that we 

 should have seen the bottom of it at such a dis- 

 tance, as we estimate that we are twenty leagues from 

 the northern extreme of the west land visible." 



As this sound is stated by Baffin to be the largest 

 of all the sounds he discovered, and considering its 

 position and its magnitude, it appears by no means 

 improbable, that it is a wide strait dividing Green- 

 land from America, or the West Land as Mr. Fisher 

 calls it, thus verifying the dictum given by Bur- 

 leigh more than two centuries ago. Among the 

 papers of this extraordinary man in the British 

 Museum, is one on the subject of a north-west 

 passage to Cathaia, in his lordship's own hand-writ- 

 ing, which begins thus : — " Considering Groyne- 

 lande is well known to be an islande, and that it is 

 not conjoyned to America in any part ; and that 

 there is no cause of doubte but that upon the north 

 of Baccalaos the seas are open," &c* 



But Baffin's account of Sir Thomas Smith's 

 Sound, brief as it is, ought to have induced Ross to 

 look into it ; more especially as he voluntarily an- 

 nounces the expedition to be " for the purpose of 

 exploring Baffin's Bay." Baffin only says, " It 

 runneth to the north of 78°, and is admirable in one 



* Lansdowne Collection. 



